The New Number
by kitzabitza
Summary: SEQUEL TO WORDS FROM AFAR. Shion has transferred to the beautiful, elusive No.5 for a study program, and is soon surprised by another sudden opportunity to expand his horizons. Yet, there is a mysterious, blood-thirsty being lurking in the shadows tracing his every move… Nezumi keeps an eye on his air-head friend, but how can he do that when he has the police hot on his heels!
1. New Beginning

_Chapter Summary: Nezumi ends up following Shion on an impulse, but was it the right decision for him to make? Is he going too far, and what happens when he comes into contact with a certain University student?_

_Disclaimer: We own nothing except for the OCs. ^_^_

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__**Chapter 1 - New Beginning**

_Ping, pong._

"_We are now stopping at No.5 Central Train Station. No.5 Central Train Station. Please do not force open the train doors. Thank you for travelling with us and have a wonderful day."_

Nezumi struggled through the slowly opening doors of the train, feeling a wave of people washing him forward with the tide of the crowd. A hot, unpleasant blast of air pounded his face as he passed under the over-worked air conditioner's exhaust fan. The wailing of an infant split his ears, shrieking above the incessant murmur of people scrambling along the train station platform, chatting frantically on cell phones or increasingly raising their voices to try and be heard by the person right beside them over the drowning noise. Suffocating, clammy bodies pressed against him as soon as he was free from the crowded cabin of the train, pressing him into a claustrophobic, inescapable circle.

Nezumi scowled. He didn't have time for this.

He pressed through the people, ignoring the several loud and none too polite protests he received. His body was knocked side to side like a ball in a pinball machine, bouncing through the swarm of people on their own missions with their own things to do. Sticking his arms forward, he tried to separate a group of overzealous teenagers intent on sandwiching themselves into an impenetrable wall of acne, too much perfume and sweet-smelling deodorant. They fell silent from their frantic conversation and scowled at his impatient grip, but Nezumi ignored their glares and pushed them roughly aside.

He didn't understand people like that. In all honestly, Nezumi was still young himself – he had yet to celebrate the 17th birthday -, but found peers of his age _frustrating _as hell. All of the sheltered children in the world wouldn't be able to get their little cotton-wrapped heads around the horrors his icy, silver eyes had taken in.

With a small smile touching his face for a moment – which ached from frowning in restraint – he remembered that he allowed himself one exception for that hate of airheads. He slipped one hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the worn and crushed slip of paper he kept there, finding comfort in its uneven texture against his skin. The information scribbled into it held more importance than his own belongings. Nezumi stepped between two of the teenagers, a pair of heavily tattooed boys, and felt a hand grip his shoulder roughly.

"You trying to mess with us, punk?" spat one of the teens, his heavily styled black hair flicking in his face. Nezumi thought it looked like a skunk had curled up over his face and died there after being smothered in glue. That image made Nezumi smirk indifferently, which only angered the hot-headed adolescent more. "Who said you could push us around? Especially a girly-swat like you." His companion with a mop of dirty-golden locks which were equally as slicked down simply bore holes into Nezumi with a cold, hard stare. The blunette ignored the look completely.

"I'm sorry," replied Nezumi, his voice slathered thick with sarcasm, not allowing a single drop of sympathy to colour his words. That was easy to do, because he felt none. A mocking smirk exposed his teeth. "As I'm sure you do also, I have important places to be, so if you'll excuse me…"

Nezumi turned to twist out of the boy's feeble hold, but was suddenly struck with a hard kick between his shoulder blades. He gasped for air as he was winded, tumbling forwards and crashing painfully to the ground. Somebody nearby gasped at the sudden attack, but Nezumi couldn't care less who had been startled. He winced in agony, feeling a sharp pain pinching his hipbone where he had struck the hard concrete platform. White hot pain exploded in his forehead. The boy sniggered at Nezumi's grimace of discomfort, but was suddenly cut off when a hand struck him across the face. The loud slap of palm against cheek resounded above the thrum of voices, followed by a shriek of annoyance.

"Calm down, Katsuro!" It was an annoyed, impatient female voice. "I don't want to make this trip painful! Hurry up and let's get our bags!"

"Hey, babe…"

"Shush! I don't want to hear it! Just get a move on!"

The young girl dragged her boyfriend away, ignoring his protests. The other teenagers from the group fell silent, watching their incredibly vocal departure, before reluctantly disappearing into the crowd after them. Passers-by gaped at the blunette in horror and uncertainty, worried about the young man on the floor but reserved about interfering in an obviously unbalanced situation. Slowly, the circle of bodies around him trickled away. Nezumi remained on the cold ground, feeling a spiteful smirk touch his face. _So women really are tough in confronting situations…_

His head began to pound like a club against a giant drum, and Nezumi gritted his teeth when he felt a drop of hot blood dribble down his skin. _Damn it. He pushed me down harder than I thought…_ The sound of a pounding heart thudded loudly in his ears, but it wasn't his own. The ground seemed to rise and fall beneath him, twitching uncomfortably as though he were forbidden to stand on the earth.

Nezumi froze. _Oh no…_

He quickly propped himself up on his grazed hands, feeling his stomach twist awkwardly when he found a young girl curled up beneath him. Her backpack had flown from her shoulders, and lay on the ground beside the pair, several books and sheets of paper sprawled out on the platform. She groaned in discomfort, delicate and pale hand clutching at the side of her purple sweater. Her short, auburn hair concealed her face. Nezumi gawked in disbelief. The image of those fearless, brown eyes burned in his vision, the sight of that girl calmly confronting her unavoidable demise. The girl who Shion once knew so well.

_No… But Safu is…_

The girl sprang up abruptly, nearly smacking her forehead into Nezumi. He scooted back off her just in time, and in the process nearly launched himself back into the buzzing crowd. His chest thumped in surprise as the girl brushed her hair back from her face with pale, slender fingers.

A huge sigh of relief escaped his lungs. He was not met with an unwavering hazel gaze, but a quiet and observant green one. Even so, the startling resemblance to Safu sent a chill through his body.

"My god, are you okay?" she cried, suddenly grabbing Nezumi's shoulders and shaking him repeatedly. Nezumi gasped as he was flung back and forth like a mindless fabric doll, her amazingly solid grip digging deep into his flesh. As soon as she stopped shaking him and he allowed himself to analyse her properly, he realised how completely different her appearance – besides her face - was to Safu.

Startlingly red streaks slashed through the hair around her face, a few crimson strands becoming caught on her multiple facial piercings. She had two diamond-encrusted rings around her eyebrows and a shining silver stud in her nose. She was like Safu… but gone wrong.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" grunted Nezumi, quickly pushing her hands away. He felt somewhat violated with that vice-like grip on his body. Funny, how he couldn't care less being abused by a mindless teenage boy, yet become so meek and uncomfortable at the simple touch of a girl. "Don't worry about it."

The girl bored those solid emerald jewels of eyes into Nezumi's passive grey ones, and he quickly averted her gaze. That jade contemplating look seemed to be able to absorb every fibre of his being within a millisecond. Everything about this pierced young lady seemed violating, all knowing, mysterious…

She fascinated him.

"Please!" she said with a grin, quickly gathering up her things and stuffing them back into her bag before slinging it over her shoulder and scrambling up from the cool, concrete platform. "See, you're hurt…" She ran her fingers over Nezumi's forehead, making him flinch, and held her tiny fingertips before him to reveal the rich smudges of blood. The blunette dismissively shrugged her off, feeling a chill pass over him at her touch.

"Leave me alone," he grunted, turning away. He didn't need anybody's company. This was something he needed to do alone. Becoming involved with anybody, even merely speaking to them, would only throw him off his path. His trek through the wild desert of his needs towards the one thing he wanted to get right, above all else; facing Shion once more, completely free of regrets of what had torn him up in the past. Something had stopped him from talking to the airhead that sun streaked evening in Lost Town, and that something – as he now knew – was himself. Some unstable part of him beneath that hardened exterior wasn't ready, was afraid of messing the innocent teenager up more than he already had. Long ago, his resolve was to never show empathy for anybody, be as selfish as the twisted human mind desires if it means your own safety. Now, he was willing to throw even his own life away if it meant the burning embers of Shion's ruby eyes could witness another day. Days that were free of corpses, blood and anguish.

However, certain guilt had settled in his stomach.

This desire for Shion to remain unharmed, unchanged, had somehow morphed into a sort of… _obsession_.

Far enough that he was almost… _stalking him._

"Hey!" cried the pierced, dyed bouncing ball of a girl. "Don't be so rude! They were being completely unreasonable. At least let me walk you out of here!" She swung her arms wide as though trying to embrace the irritated Nezumi, and nearly smacked a passing old woman in the face. The shuffling, wrinkled lady opened her glassy eyes wide, and the naïve girl lost her balance in her attempt to avoid knocking the elderly citizen to the ground. She tumbled forward, elbowing Nezumi hard in the ribs. Her fumbling hands dug into his jacket, desperate for something to cling onto and regain her balance. _Who is this clumsy woman…?!_

"Just who the hell do you think you a-" Nezumi clipped off the end of his frustrated growl when he saw the priceless, folded piece of paper slip from his pocket and flip lightly through the disturbed air. The scrap disappeared among the swelling crowd.

"Ah! Stop!" he cried, quickly shoving the babbling girl off of him, not bothering to listen to her constant, trivial rambling. The stark colour of the paper burned into his vision, the world colourless and insignificant around the swirling material. Diving between the swarming people, he seized the scrap in his fist before his frantic heartbeat could get out of control. A gasp of air burst from his lungs; he hadn't realised he'd been holding it.

_Calm down, Nezumi. You've got it. It's okay._

"Man, you're so weird!" _Dammit. She's following me, isn't she…_

Whipping around, the girl gazed into him again with those passionate emerald orbs. Nezumi held the gaze, determined to not let her get the better of him. Distract her. Get away. Get back on track. Stop stalling!

"Oooooh, what's that?" she asked with a cheeky wink, thrusting her hand forward and lurching toward the paper in Nezumi's hand. The blunette tried to snatch it away, but her seemingly deft fingers grabbed the edge of the white scrap and pried it from his grip. Nezumi grit his teeth.

_That has everything I need on there…!_

Although he denied the fact he was shadowing his white-haired companion, Nezumi had spent days gathering information on Shion's destination from various sources, and had discovered he was headed for an elite university situated in No.5; SkyLink Central College. He'd also found out several details like Shion's plane and train tickets, boarding unit and contact numbers. After thorough research, he had discovered that this particular campus circulated its teachings around further development of the "utopia" cities, as well as the reconstruction and improvement of deceitful failures like the wretched No.6. Creating an ideal world without deformity, without any rot on its perfect structure. It all seemed like bullshit to him. Something seemed fishy. Or maybe he was just being paranoid.

Pushing aside his gut feeling, he had followed Shion to No.5 in the most discreet way a sneaky rat possibly could. So far, he had not been detected by any form of authority in the slightest.

Seeing this outlandish, exceedingly curious girl's olive eyes scanning through this vital information made this swollen pride at anonymity shatter right before his eyes, unravel like a broken thread on the loosely woven blanket of the unpredictable future.

"SkyLink?" she whistled, making Nezumi flinch, her round, innocent face pinched in puzzlement. "That's where I'm headed." Nezumi's stomach sank. _Is she destined to be further intertwined in my future? If so, I may as well shoot myself right here and now. _Seemingly disinterested by the other scribbling on the page, she folded up the strip and placed it back in Nezumi's outstretched palm. The blunette closed his fingers around the slip of paper, an idea suddenly welling in his head. With a quick glance at the now instantly recognisable logo – a shining globe supported by a swirling, mystical cloud – on her backpack, his assumption was confirmed.

This girl was a student at SkyLink.

She could get in and out of the college without seeming suspicious at all, since she is legally allowed to enter the residence as a pupil.

He could use her to get information.

Use her to get close to Shion.

Stuffing the paper back into his pocket, a wicked grin spreading across his face, he grabbed her slender, bony shoulder in his gloved hand causing her to yelp in surprise. Leaning in close to the shell of her ear, feeling the heat radiating off her skin, he whispered in a voice laced with exuberance at this sudden enlightenment, but also heavy with seriousness at the strict procedure that he would be required to go through to make it work.

"You're definitely a student there?"

"Huh?" She stiffened against him. "Oh, of course… Why?"

"What's your name?"

"Rioka Setton."

"Rioka… Are you good at keeping secrets?"

The bustling groups of people pushing by along the platform quickly began to disperse as people shuffled onto trains and left for their own destinations in No.5 or elsewhere. With less people to mask his hushed questions which he was muttering into Rioka's ear, more eyes were drawn to their close figures and Nezumi's secretive glances. An alarm bell sounded in Nezumi's head, the honed sense a rat like him possessed instantly alerting him of possible detection. Rioka clutched her bag closer to her back as he quickly but casually led her away, out of the station, breathing into her ear quickly before standing fully erect again; "It's not safe to talk here."

She froze beneath his touch, but continued walking. Despite her obvious discomfort and uncertainty at a stranger leading her away, she did not resist. She seemed to sense his intentions, which were far from ill. Her previously unsilenced mouth was now clamped closed, jaw set. Nezumi thought he saw a snide smirk touch her glossy lips, but it was just a trick of the light.

They walked briskly but without haste out of the station, Nezumi's hand resting on her stiff shoulder the entire time. Stopping on a side street with nobody else around, windows of stores closed for the day bathed in afternoon glow, her silent air quickly vanished. Nezumi dropped his hand as she took a deep breath, before bursting out a stream of questions at him.

"Just who are you? What is it that you want? I thought you were a little odd, but this is a bit extreme. Why are you being so pushy? How are you involved with SkyLink? And what was this about secrets?" All of her words blurted out in one go, her lips moving in a blur. Nezumi rubbed his temples. _She seems a lot like a little someone I know…_

"Look," he sighed, holding up his hands to silence her, "it's a little complex. But… I really need someone taken care of."

"Woah, woah, _woah!" _she stammered, her red streaks flying as she shook her head frantically. "I'm not some hired killer!"

"No…" clarified Nezumi, releasing yet another sigh. He really needed to get out of that habit. "I'm not asking you to take care of anybody in _that _way. I mean, somebody very important to me is at SkyLink. Could you keep an eye on him?"

A frown crossed her face, eyebrow piercing digging into her puckered eyebrows. "Why can't you just go there yourself? Or is it _that _kind of important to you?" A snide grin crossed her face, followed by a cheeky giggle.

Nezumi gritted his teeth. Man, she was getting on his nerves. One minute she looks right into your soul with piercing yet innocent eyes, then the next she's mocking you! "I'm… not supposed to be here right now. I entered the city without permission."

"Oooooh, a fugitive!"

Nezumi ignored the comment.

"His name is Shion."

"Shion?"

"Yes. Can you remember it?"

"Of course."

Nezumi tore off an edge of the paper holding the information he had gathered over his travels, wrote on the number for the micro-telephone installed into Cravat's robotic body, and handed it to her.

"Contact me as soon as you find him."

"Yes."

She turned, amber and chocolate locks swaying slightly in the breeze and catching the glowing sun as easily as a resilient spider's web snares an unsuspecting insect. A slow, melodious tune whispered from her lips in a cheerful hum, her sneakers squeaking slightly on the surprisingly smooth path.

Suddenly, her tune was cut short as she whipped around once more, that solid emerald gaze once again snapping onto Nezumi's grey, peaceful one.

"Oh," she breathed, slipping the piece of paper into her backpack. "I never got your name."

"Nezumi."

"Nezumi…" she repeated, savouring the name on her tongue as a gourmet might relish in the taste of a fine wine. She smiled gently at him before turning away, a bounce in her step as she walked off. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise." A smirk exposed Nezumi's pearly teeth, even long after Rioka had disappeared into the distance. Even his murky shadow on the ground seemed to cheer.

_Jackpot._

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_kitzabitza: Hello guys, we're back! My god, I am so sorrrrryyy. I didn't die, I_ am _still alive here_..._ ;A;_

_Yuki: Helloo all~ I'm super sorry about our lateness but I was busy moving and we were out of contact for a time but now we're back. *ahem,polite speech now over* HEHEHEHE How do you like it? we promise much mystery and in the following chapters :3 so kitzabitza got anything to add?_

_kitzabitza: I guess all I have to say is how sorry I am for my writer's block. I lost nearly all inspiration for this story, even though Yuki and I have it all planned out! You moving is no excuse! ;A; Errrr, anyways, what did you guys think of this chapter? And people who have stumbled across this, this is a sequel to our story Words From Afar! It won't make much sense as to you if you haven't read that already, so go check out my stories and power through that before you continue reading here! :p_

_Yuki: haha anyway thanks for your continued support and i hope to see you all at the next chapter~ Bye~_

_kitzabitza: See you all soon!_


	2. The New Kid on Campus

_Disclaimer- I don't own 'No.6'_

_Warnings- Violence and swearing_

_Chapter Summary- Shion has finally arrived at No. 5, his dorm room is huge and he and his new roommate kick it off right from the star. Everything seems okay right? So why is he getting this sinking feeling in his stomach?_

_Authors Notes- Yo! Hey guys~ How are you all? Do you like the first chapter? Ahh I'm excited I hope you guys love this story just as must as me and kitzabitza do!_

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**Chapter Two - The New Kid on Campus**

Shion stood near the door getting ready to get off the crowded bus, the butterflies in his stomach turning into savage hawks as they swooped and twisted inside him. He could see the building in the distance gradually getting closer, and really he couldn't wait to get off. The bus was so overly crowded that he was trying not to hyperventilate. No.6 had seemed so big, but compared to No.5 it was nothing. A speck of dirt compared to a basketball.

_Campus Road, now stopping at Campus Road._

An electronic voice called over the speakers making Shion push just a little closer to the door so he wouldn't miss his stop. He lurched forward a little as the bus stopped and the second the doors opened a wave of people exited, unknowingly and most probably uncaringly dragging him off with them. As his feet hit the pavement Shion tried to escape the crowds and inhaled a massive gulp of air, trying to calm his heart.

Once he was sure that he had calmed down enough Shion looked up at the twelve story building in front of him, his mouth gaping slightly at its architectural structure and design. It was _massive_! Slowly closing his mouth Shion faced forward and pulled up thoughts of Nezumi to keep him going. This was all for the blunette, so he could do it! Nodding to himself, Shion walked forward and into the building, confident and proud as he walked over to the board displaying the layout of the huge campus known as SkyLink University.

Memorising the map with ease, Shion walked the creamy blue halls casually as he took in the beautiful art works and sculptures along the way. He had been told to have the first day to relax when he arrived and had an appointment booked for the next day to talk to a Mr Sai Satou about what classes he would be taking and about the job the head of the company had spoken to him about. He was nervous but at the same time eager and excited; he had missed out on being in some of the elite classes when he had been younger and his talents were severely wasted, so hopefully here he would be able to let loose on his knowledge while helping to make it a better place.

Blinking his eyes in slight confusion, Shion glanced at the number on the elevator display and realised that it was his floor. Stepping out of the elevator that he didn't even remembering getting into, he walked along wide corridors that were similar to the ones below but instead of blue they were white with decorative black swirls. Looking for his door he smiled when he faced it; it was a glorious black and polished wood with the numbers 999 printed on it in white letters. Holding up his hand with his new identity bracelet, which was much thinner than the old ones, he slid it through the scanner beam, listening to the little click that signalled his door unlocking. Moving his hand he reached out and gently pushed open the door and stepped inside, looking around the room in awe as he took everything in.

The walls were a pure white with black swirls and the floor was covered in a soft black carpet. Hanging from the roof was a miniature chandelier and on either side of the room there was a desk, single bed, bookshelf and cupboard. Everything held the scheme of black and white. And between the two beds were big double glass doors that lead out onto a very spacious looking balcony, making Shion even happier he was given a room on the tenth floor. Smiling to himself Shion placed his backpack on the bed that had his suitcase at its end and walked through the door on the side, finally realising why the rooms were so spread apart when he walked into a huge kitchen with an adjacent bathroom and laundry. Laughing at how beautiful his room was, Shion went back to his bags and began to unpack, planning on heading to a bookstore once he was done to buy some new books; ones that No.6 hadn't allowed and that he had read at Nezumi's.

First, he started with his clothes, easily pulling out the already sorted and folded items and placing them neatly in his cupboard before moving onto the few books he had, moving them into the bookshelf in alphabetical order, after making sure they were all straight. He grabbed his note books and laptop and placed them in and on the desk. Finally he grabbed the little backpack that he had brought with him himself and pulled out little knick-knack's and placing them on his desk and around the kitchen and bathroom. Gently grabbing the last item he pulled it out of the bag and tenderly scratched its nose. "Welcome to your new home Hamlet," he said happily as he placed the mouse down and grabbed some cheese from the pre-packed fridge. That was another advantage of living here; they brought you food and washing items.

After placing Hamlet and his cheese on the table Shion wrote a quick note, explaining how the mouse was robotic so there wouldn't be any disasters with the cleaning staff, before heading out the door and back towards the elevator. Once he stepped in and pressed down he looked around, smiling slightly as he did so. There were two elevators on the side of the building, but when he had been in it before he had been too distracted to notice how it was all made out of strong glass, so you could easily see out onto the city and the ground below as it got either closer or further away.

Once he reached the ground floor Shion stepped out finding it easier to dodge the rush of bodies as he gradually got used to how full this place seemed. Brushing a hand through his white hair Shion took another calming breath and walked along the corridor until he reached the foyer and stepped outside into the cool summer air. He cautiously walked up to the edge of the road and waited for the light to turn green before walking across and heading into the huge shopping centre that was located just across the road.

After stepping into the air-conditioning again Shion walked up to the little digital map in the centre of the walkway and located a bookstore before memorising the route and walking there, barely even bumping shoulders with the people now. He hoped that the bookstore would have some of Shakespeare's work. He wanted to improve on his 'acting' so next time he saw Nezumi he could prove how much he had changed.

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Shion smiled from ear to ear, his red eyes gleaming in glee as he walked back to the dorms, his arms loaded with practically tones of books. He had spent almost two hours simply looking through the huge book store, and after deciding what he wanted he gradually collected them in piles and stacked them up on the register desk. The clerk had laughed with him happily saying how great it was to have people like him around. Shion just reached the doors for the dorms when he saw a head of beautiful brown hair his mind stopping as he dropped everything and grabbed the girls shoulder in front of him spinning her to face him.

"Safu!" He cried happily, until he saw the girls face and his expression sank. The girl indeed looked like Safu, only more like how the two of them had joked she'd look like if she dated that 'punk' kid back in grade school. She had bright red streaks through the front of her hair, which had a fringe that dangled to the side in an emo-like fashion, a diamond ring on each eyebrow and a little silver stud in her right nostril. Shion let go of her and quickly bowed in apology before quickly grabbing his stuff. When he stood back up he looked at the girl, her similarity to Safu setting a hard pang in his heart as she smiled brightly at him, her emerald eyes sparkling in amusement.

"You know, that's the second time someone has given me that look today," she said matter-of-factly as she held out a hand. "Rioka Setton, at your service. I presume you're the new rookie Shion?" she asked as Shion gripped her hand and smiled back. The more time he spent in her presence the less she seemed like Safu and more like a new friend, the pain in his heart dulling little by little.

"Yes, I only just got here today actually," he replied as he laughed, Rioka laughed with him as she twisted her nose stud absently. Shion, being the person he is, instantly categorised it as a habit.

"Well, I'm in most of your classes so I'll see you tomorrow newbie!" She said as she turned and headed down the creamy pink corridor that led to the female dormitories. Shion shook his head at the pure coincidence of meeting a girl that looked so awfully similar to Safu here but brushed it off. There was however a lingering feeling a danger and mystery that the girl seemed to have wrapped around her like a warm blanket on a cold night. He didn't think it was threatening, just something that was _there_... Like with Nezumi. The white headed teen stopped at the elevator doors waiting for the elevator to come down to his level as he looked at a violent painting of a man being cut open by a women in a white dress. It seemed ethereal on some level and Shion wondered how someone could get the inspiration for something like that, but his thought process was cut short when he heard the ping signalling the elevators arrival.

Shaking his head to clear such strange thoughts he wondered if his roommate had arrived yet and looked out the glass as he slowly rose into the air, the elevator not stopping until it reached his floor and he stepped out. His room was the last one so he didn't bother looking again and when he reached it he shuffled the bags out of the way so his bracelet could show. Once it had successfully scanned he pushed the door open with his foot and walked inside, placing his book bags gently on his bed before turning around, only instead of seeing the open room he was met with a close up of brilliant purple irises contracting slightly as they locked with his own red ones. Before he could even flinch away he felt arms wrap around his shoulders and squeeze him into a tight hug.

"Aww you're so cute!" his captor laughed as he let him go and stepped back thrusting his hand forward as a goofy grin took over his handsome face. "The names Shima Akisura! Nice to meet ya!" The other teen introduced happily as Shion took his hand and shook it, still reeling from the person in front of him.

The taller male had bright white hair like his own but there was a purple streak through the centre, making him almost look like a skunk. The others eyebrows were white as was his eyelashes and his eyes were the same colour of vibrant violet in his hair; it _must_ all be cosmetic from the powerful consistency of the unnatural colours... He had a slightly pointed nose and his cheek bones were well structured. A long lean neck that supported a black choker with a purple skull, attached to bare shoulders. His bottom half was wearing black skinnies and a black and purple studded belt, finishing off the look with a pair of clean white and black converse.

After realising that he had just been staring openly at the guy in front of him he blinked and blushed looking up to apologise only to realise that Shima was doing the same. The other must have felt Shion's gaze back on his face as he looked up and smiled carding a hand through his hair and using his other to point at his eyes.

"Back in my last year of school I thought I'd be cool and tried to mix some chemicals that really shouldn't be mixed together. When nothing happened I decided to drink it… As soon as I swallowed the stuff, I passed out and when I woke up a few days later I was like this," he finished with a laugh but Shion could see the regret in his eyes, slowly replaced by open curiosity as he looked at Shion. _Heh, he knows how I feel then. _Smiling he walked out on the balcony and leant on the edge.

"Did you hear about the disaster at Nol6?" Shion asked as he looked out on the city memories flashing before his eyes. He heard Shima walk up behind him as the purple teen lent his back on the railing.

"I've heard about it but it's very 'hush hush', y'know?" he said as he looked up at the sky patiently waiting for Shion's story. Shion nodded as he sorted his words out in his head.

"Mmm, I thought as much… The whole thing was unbelievable to me, still is. No.6 had created a virus, it spread through these bee's that would plant their larvae in a person's neck and when it came time for the larvae to hatch it would emit a poison and literally suck the life out of its host. The corpses were left looking old, even if the person had originally been only ten years old." Shion took a deep breath as he calmed himself pushing aside the memories of his co-worker's dead corpse and all the others he saw as he pushed himself to finish his tale. "A larvae somehow got into my neck, but before it could hatch I noticed some of the signs and was able to have it c-cut out." The memory of pain made Shion hang his head his vibrant red eyes a dull magenta as he continued. "The pain was unbearable… I was at the point where I begged the friend who cut it out to kill me. I just wanted the pain to end. Eventually when the larva was taken out I lost consciousness and when I woke I was like this." Shion looked up towards the end and gestured to his body, mainly his hair and eyes. "I took a look at it, and there was something wrong with the larva. It didn't mature properly, so its undeveloped poisons didn't make me age and die instantly like all the others."

Shima smiled comfortingly at him as they headed back inside and into the kitchen, leaving the doors open to let the breeze in. Shion sat at the table as Shima messed around in the fridge and with the blender. After a few minutes the taller teen turned around a pleased smile on his face as he walked over and placed a drink in front of Shion drinking his own.

"Iced chocolate always makes things better." He said happily as he took a big gulp and Shion laughed grabbing his drink and sipping on it happily. Once they both only had half left Shima raised his glass. "To new friendship and everlasting bonds," he said, Shion echoing him as they both skulled the rest of their drink.

Shion smiled and jumped slightly when his wrist band vibrated. Bringing it up to his line of vision he clicked the button to display the message.

_Enjoying the drink, pet?_

His eyes flashing an angry blood red for a fraction of a second before calming back down and he pushed the delete button not thinking about the message. It was probably just Shima, who was over at the sink, washing their dishes. He seemed to be such a tease; it will be interesting to spend his college life with him as a room mate, thought Shion wish a smile. Now, it was a long day and he wanted to have a shower and go to sleep. Standing, he headed back to his room ready to do just that.

* * *

_Yuki- Woop! I am back baby! Hahaha how are we all on this fantabulous day? How was this chapter? *Looks behind as Kitzabitza poofs into room* You're laaaate~_

_Kitzabitza- ARGH I THOUGHT WE SETTLED THIS LAST CHAPTER, I WAS BUSYYYYY. Anyway guys, I will be away at a convention for about 5 days, so I might not get any done for a while, but I'll try! See you next time! Give a review to say what you think about Shion's_

_Yuki- Haha anyway I'll see you guys next time hope you enjoyed the read!_


	3. Man in Uniform

_Disclaimer: We don't own No.6 or the characters, only our OC's._

_Warnings: Possible coarse language_

_Chapter Summary: Everything is falling into place, going perfectly according to Nezumi's plan… Or is it?_

* * *

_**CHAPTER 3 – MAN IN UNIFORM**_

Nezumi folded up the frail, creased scrap of paper and stuffed it back into his pocket for what felt like the millionth time. He was sitting beneath an old, concrete bridge, cool air radiating from the solid grey slab towering overhead. Cool fingertips walked absentmindedly over the spread campus map on the ground beside him, which he had spent the last half an hour or so memorising. Skylink University was in clear view, towering buildings majestically rising towards the heavens and reaching for otherwise unattainable heights, as many of the bustling students inside spent every day doing in their studies. In the serene silence of the afternoon, Nezumi couldn't help but admire the beauty of the architecture; the sleek, lightly coloured walls, the perfectly positioned windows catching the golden glow of the sun, the sweeping staircases embraced by row after row of hedges and exotic flowers either side. The beautiful, fresh scents of the carefully tended greenery filled the blunette's nose even from this distance. Even through this expanse of constructed splendour and veil of summer beauty, the image of one name burned his vision.

_Rioka._

Had he made the right decision? Or was it just a stupid judgement on his part? Cravat squeaked quietly at his side, burying his furry nose into Nezumi's thigh. The robot seemed aware of Nezumi's lingering discomfort. No matter how long he allowed the gentle breeze to calm his body, the glowing, angelic, almost ethereal aura that seemed to hover over the entire expanse of No.5 settling the twinges in his gut, there was always the feeling of uncertainly smouldering deep down. The sensation of tranquillity and security that No.5 gave was merely temporary, cosmetic. It was doing nothing but masking Nezumi's discomposure, making him have to remind himself of why he was here so he wouldn't flee.

Glancing at his pocket watch, he let out an exasperated groan. It had only been 4 hours since his entrustment to the mysterious, jewellery-ridden student.

If this is how he felt after this short amount of time, he would be a complete wreck by morning.

Gritting his teeth, Nezumi emitted a low, feral growl. Cravat flinched at his side, snuggling into the thick fabric of his pants more vigorously to escape the sound. _Get your act together, you fool._ Snarling at himself was the best he could manage at the moment. No time or energy left to get into an internal argument and beat his emotions back into line. It wasn't that long ago that he had allowed himself to succumb to whatever his heart had felt, indulge in the lingering emptiness Shion's past presence had filled, and that had _definitely _not gone well. He'd rather not think about it, though. Recalling the deep depression, the almost hysterical, maddened sadness was both shameful and sickening, but allowing himself to reminisce about those dark, inner days every now and again reminded him to keep himself in check. Not to be as cold and brutal of a rat as he used to be, but not as ridiculously melodramatic as a menstruating teenage girl. It reinforced his resolve to never make that same mistake again.

Mistake…

_Rioka. _

Groaning another roar of frustration deep in his throat, suppressing it as much as possible, Nezumi clutched his thick grey locks in his fists and clenched tightly. _Damn it, damn it, damn it. _

Before he could delve too far into this internal unrest, Cravat raised his tiny head, opened his jaws and emitted a loud metallic beep. _Pipipipipipipipipi. _

A spark ran through Nezumi's body, his eyes flashing to those of mechanical red. He released his hair, his scalp sighing in relief, and quickly picked up the furry robotic animal.

_Pipipipipipipi._

_A call…!_

There was only one person who could be contacting him right now.

Nezumi swallowed the lump in his throat before quickly pressing the button on Cravat's back, afraid he would sit there in surprise so long he'd forget to answer the call.

"…Yes?"

There was a moment of silence, a slight pause, before that unmistakable female voice responded, ringing tinnily from the tiny speaker in Cravat's throat.

"Nezumi… that was your name, right? Your little friend made it here. Safe and sound."

A ripple of relief washed through Nezumi's body, making him shiver slightly. His taut, anxious muscles instantly relaxed, every fibre of discomfort instantly gone. Or at least, Nezumi hoped, for now. Shion was okay. Thank god… But what had he been expecting? Something disastrous? An injury? Or worse? That he wasn't even there at all? It was an elite university for inhuman brainiacs, for god's sake. If something were to happen to one of Skylink's precious budding geniuses, there would be frantic news reports everywhere.

Or… did Nezumi just want an excuse to see him?

"Ah, I see," replied Nezumi quickly, trying not to let the overwhelming relief show in his voice. He had to be calm, collected. Not give in to tempting, controlling emotion. "I'm glad to hear it. He has settled in okay, I expect?"

"Of course." Nezumi could almost picture her knowing smirk, laughing silently at a joke that only she could hear. "He's boarding with… what was his name again? Shima? He's a rather interesting character."

Nezumi flinched. _He. He's staying with a __**he. **_Something that could have been jealousy poked at him, but he quickly brushed it off before he could truly identify the emotion. "What exactly you mean by interesting?"

Rioka giggled softly. "I've only run into a few times here, and don't know him too well on a personal level, but he's definitely… different. I'd say he's _unique._"

Nezumi chewed the inside of his cheek. _Of course there are unique people there. This isn't exactly a generic university for your average adolescent. If only I knew what this Shima character was like as a person… Will he destructive to Shion or will they get close? ….How close? Damn it Nezumi, stop worrying. You're looking too deep into things. There's no need to worry so much. But…_

"Would you be able to get me some background information on him, just for safety reasons of course?" _Damned if I let her know about the true reason…. Wait what true reason?_

Nezumi had no doubt about it. Surely Rioka's emerald eyes would be glinting in that malicious, cheeky little way of hers right now.

"Easily. Even here, getting into those kinds of details is a piece of cake." Her voice was confident… almost experienced…? _That's slightly worrying, what if she uses that information to do something to Shion- Dammit Nezumi stop being so paranoid!_

A sudden uncertainty twisted in the pit of his stomach, and Nezumi jumped at his idiocy. Why had this never come to mind before…? This simple forgetfulness could have been his downfall. Surly someone of his experience couldn't have overlooked this crucial detail. This is something to be understood the instant you ask another for assistance! He had to get at least _this _cleared up.

"Rioka," he hummed, hearing a melodious 'Hmmm?' in response. "Why exactly are you doing all of this for me? Where I come from, nobody is obliged to do _anything _for each other. I'm just wondering… you're so willing to do anything I ask, and I'm a complete stranger. Why?"

"_Why_, you ask?" A low, breathy chuckle. "You've already imposed such a mission on a young, reckless adolescent like myself and it's only _now _that you ask me this?" Nezumi could feel his face burning. _Damn it. _There was a slight pause before Rioka's voice thrummed from Cravat's gaping jaws, lowered to but a whisper.

"Let's just say I have a soft spot for lost little rats like you." With that, Rioka hung up. The stark, unpleasant metallic beep of a disconnected call rang in Nezumi's ears, a frozen look of confusion burned into his face. He could almost the musical, hysterical laugh that was surely rocking her body right now.

She obviously knew his namesake. The memory refused to become clear, but Nezumi was sure that those exact words had been uttered to him one of those days from the blurry, blood stained past. Who exactly was she? How much did she know?

Nezumi hooked his fingers over Cravat's mouth, gently clamping his jaws shut and silencing the horrible squawking peeps. His face was frozen in that blank, ridiculed expression that whatever Rioka said seemed to invoke. Frustration began to well inside him. No, not just irritation. Fear. Fear of her knowledge. Fear of being inspected by a mere girl. Fear of detection.

Somehow, this tension, this unbalanced situation between two adolescents who expect something of each other whilst obviously harbouring very little trust in the other's authenticity, struck Nezumi as alarmingly hilarious.

A grin cracked his face, exposing pearly teeth, shoulders shuddering silently until he could contain the sniggers no more. Nezumi roared in laughter, the chuckles pealing in the concrete enclosed space beneath the bridge. He clutched his sides with fumbling fingers, his ribs beginning to ache. But he couldn't stop the laughter. His entire body shuddered in mirth, and unable to take it anymore he fell forward into the dirt. The giggles came out as mere gasps when the laughter became too much, and he tried to regain composure. Cravat stared at his master curiously, perhaps a little worried by this strange behaviour. Nezumi reached out from his spot on the ground, running a finger over Cravat's soft head. The robot chirped happily, reassured.

"Well, little buddy," muttered Nezumi with a beaming grin. "Looks like we have an interesting situation on our hands. This definitely isn't going to be a boring trip!" Getting up from the ground, not worrying about dusting off his already filthy coat, Nezumi took in the heavenly glow that was Skylink. The beautifully, carefully constructed buildings. The gardens that were so perfect they almost appeared artificial. The warm, inviting orange glow of the warm sun.

Nezumi threw his arms wide, shouting out at the university, hearing his voice echo once more. "Go on, Skylink! Give me everything you've got!"

"Excuse me, sir?"

Nezumi froze, slowly turning around to meet the gaze of a curious if not worried policeman. His uniform was creased after a long day's work, his shaggy brown hair hastily brushed off his face. _Crap. _Calling on his developed acting skills, Nezumi wiped the smug look from his face and replaced it with a friendly, innocent gaze.

"What seems to be the problem, officer?" Nezumi laced his voice with as much purity as was humanly possible, hoping to achieve the look of a lost traveller. The tone in his voice made his stomach churn, but he persisted. After all, he had a pack on the ground that would hold the average luggage for a week long hiking trip, and a map lay out beside it. Surely that would be convincing enough. Still, the officer raised a curious eyebrow. _Great. He saw that little display just now, didn't he? He probably thinks I'm insane. _

"Maybe I should be asking you that question." The officer seemed fairly unimpressed. He glanced over at Nezumi's belongings on the ground, and Cravat scurried away from the inspecting glance. "Are you lost?"

Nezumi frowned, running his fingers through his silky grey hair. "Aaaah… I guess I am." He chuckled his most convincing nervous laugh. "I was trying to find somewhere to stay for the night, and the helpful man at the train station gave me the wrong map! Some people…"

The officer looked Nezumi up and down, his eyes seeming to linger around his slender wrists.

"For a second I thought I was in trouble here!"

"Identification bracelet."

Nezumi blinked curiously, feigning ignorance. "Pardon?"

"Your identification bracelet. You're not wearing one."

_Again, another tiny but essential detail… Great one, Nezumi. You better think of something now or you're fucked. _

Nezumi chewed his lip, not only faking shy confusion but biting to get back at his stupid self. He just hoped he wouldn't bite it so hard that it would bleed. "Ah, are travellers supposed to be issued those? I thought those were only for residence…"

The policeman inched closer, his solid gaze burning into Nezumi's calm grey one as his hands slowly wandered to the holster at his belt. "Temporary bracelets. They're only recently been added to the No.5 system. Not so long ago, we didn't use bracelets, but due to certain circumstances, they have been introduced. The only way a bracelet couldn't have been issued to you was if you entered the city through public transport illegally."

_Crap, crap, crap. That's what I get for sneaking onto the train. _

"Oh, you speak so formally…"

"Where are you from?"

Nezumi swallowed. "No.6." Merely speaking the name of that tainted city made his stomach do somersaults.

"Your accent…" The crunching of stones as he moved closer Nezumi who began to back away, his head pounding. "It's not typical of No.6 residents. It has a slightly rougher undertone."

Nezumi was bored of this sweet, innocent gig. "What, you have a problem with my voice, buddy? West District talk too 'unclean' for you? Fucking deal with it, pampered punk," he spat. A smug grin stretched across his face, and he saw the officer's eyes widen in horror.

"You-" Nezumi didn't let him finish. Snapping his arm forward, he grabbed the officer by the face and twisted his head back, arching his neck in an unnatural position. Nezumi's hand smacked him loudly across the face and he brought a knee up into his crotch, temporarily stunning him. The officer braved the blinding agony downstairs and gargled against his palm, struggling to pull what Nezumi assumed was a gun from his belt. No, he wasn't going to let him do that. With his free hand, Nezumi snared the loose fabric of the police uniform, whipping him around, and pressed his entire weight against the man, smacking him hard against one side of the bridge's underside. The policeman groaned in pain, face crushed against the cold concrete and arms flailing. Kneeing him roughly in the back and snapping a rigid hand on a sensitive point in the neck the officer fell limp, cries silenced. His eyes, which Nezumi now noticed were a stunning icy blue, lolled back in his head. Sweat rolled down Nezumi's forehead as the unconscious man slumped against him, the red outline of a hand swelling on his cheek.

_That was a close one. I need to start paying more attention to my actions. _

Itching to get this knocked out officer out of his arms and somewhere unnoticeable but unwilling to cause unnecessary harm, Nezumi slowly and gently lowered the body to the ground. The man's face seemed so peaceful, and Nezumi had to swallow the pang of guilt that rose as he began rummaging through his pockets.

A wallet filled with only a few notes, which Nezumi stuffed in his pocket before he could feel bad about it. There was a photograph tucked inside the folds of the wallet; a picture of the man with a beaming grin on his face, a young girl with a toothy smile and spiralling amber locks tumbling over her freckle covered face. He quickly stuffed it back into the policeman's pocket. A chewing gum wrapper. A set of keys. A receipt for a loaf of bread and chocolate bar from a nearby grocery store.

Nezumi's fingers enclosed around the small handgun in the officer's holster, the weight of the weapon gratifying in his hands. He hesitated for a moment, went to put it back, then thought otherwise and tossed it into his pack along with some spare ammunition. Being discovered with a stolen pistol among his other belongings wouldn't exactly help his case and it would definitely be something difficult to talk himself out of, but it could come in handy. He wasn't planning on getting confronted again, anyway.

Nezumi looped his arms under the officer's armpits and dragged him along the ground, leaning him against a nearby tree concealed by a thick row of shrubs. The man could remember him when he awoke, but Nezumi wasn't willing to shed blood just to make himself completely unknown. When the corpse was found, wild searches would be scouring the entire city of No.5, every crevice and nook. That surely could not end well.

Gathering his belongings and placing the quivering Cravat on his shoulder, Nezumi wondered if he would ever have to take that gun and pull the trigger.

* * *

_Kitzabitza: Helloooooooo again! Nezumi isn't being very careful, is he?_

_Yuki: Go Nezumi! Fight fight! Hehehehehe ahh such fun with these stories, I changed a few things Kitzabitza but not much XD hope ya like it everyone~_

_Kitzabitza: Let's see what he gets up to next time. See you all the next chapter!_

_Yuki: It's my turn next so leave us a review~_


	4. When It Rains, It Pours

_Disclaimer- I don't own 'No.6'_

_Warnings- Violence and swearing_

_Chapter Summary- Shion explores No. 5 and gets to know some of its citizens, he feels like an outsider, something that's not easily mended but forces it away. A thunderstorm hits and brings back memories, can he resist the temptation the roaring wind offers?_

_Authors Notes- Hello~ Ah I cannot describe in words how eager I am to get this down, not in a bad way of course! It's just such a fantastic idea and I absolutely love it! So read on for our next chapter and let us know what you thin ne?_

* * *

_**CHAPTER 4 - WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS**_

Shion woke to the feel of someone poking his cheek, "Hey, hey Shion! Wake uuup!" His roommate's voice shattered his hopes of rolling over and going back to sleep. Sighing, Shion sat up and rubbed at his eyes sleepily.

"Yes Shima?" he asked as he slowly woke himself up, looking to his pillow to see a curled up Hamlet. The ruby eyed male smiled softly before looking back at his violet haired friend.

"Well, I let ya sleep in, but didn't ya say ya have an appointment today?" the other asked as he rubbed the back of his head, lavender eyes darting to the clock on the wall near the door then back to Shion. The white haired teen bolted out of the bed and glanced at the clock. He had to be at Satou's office in twenty minutes!

"Shit!" Quickly running to his cupboard, he grabbed out his clothes and ran into the bathroom, quickly getting changed and brushing his teeth before running back into the kitchen. Shima was smiling at him in amusement as he held out a piece of toast with butter and jam on it. Shion grabbed it and thanked him as he ran to the door. As he was putting his shoes on, his roommate walked up behind him and casually leaned on the wall next to the door.

"When you get back I'm taking you shopping," he stated making Shion look at him with a raised brow, the half-finished toast hanging out of his mouth as he tied the laces on his joggers. "I got a glimpse of ya clothes just then, an' unless ya want to be picked on we need to re-stock ya cupboard," the taller male said, smiling as Shion stood and opened the door. Looking over his shoulder Shion gave his new friend a smile.

"Sure, sure. Just be ready when I get back." Laughing, Shion ran to the stairs, deciding that it would be both faster and good exercise. He ran down the stairs and listened to the sound of his echoing footsteps as a smile spread across his face. He felt an adrenaline rush coming on and it pushed him the last five stories to the ground level.

Only slightly out of breath, Shion headed to the building next door that he had been instructed to go to and walked through the doors, strolling up to the desk. He smiled kindly at the receptionist. "I'm Shion, I have an appointment at eleven-thirty," he said calmly as the lady clicked her computer to life and found the details of his appointment. Once she had she smiled at Shion and directed him to the office three doors down the right corridor. The teen followed her directions and knocked politely on the door.

"Enter." The voice carried through the door, strong and controlled. Feeling slightly nervous Shion opened the door, inside there was two desks, one smaller than the other. Both were occupied and it was obvious who the one in charge was. Bowing stiffly, Shion walked in and sat himself in front of the bigger desk, patiently waiting for Mr Satou to say something as he looked him over. The older male had black hair, grey-blue eyes and stubble across his chin. Shion caught a glimmer of silver and glanced to the elder's hand that held a thick silver ring, encrusted with little diamonds.

"Welcome Shion! I hope you've been enjoying your time here so far. Have you made any new friends yet?" Shion smiled and nodded in response. "That's good. Ah, the sheet in front of you is your timetable for classes that you will be in," he said, gesturing towards a sheet on Shion's side of the desk. The younger male reached forward and gave it a quick once over before glancing back at the man in front of him.

"The job I told you about over the phone won't need to be discussed for a few days so just relax and do your best. I'll get my secretary Hagaku to show you around." Shion's gaze moved to the side as he looked at the man sitting behind the smaller desk. He had bleached blonde hair, emerald green eyes and a green earing in his ear. A green and gold nose ring nestled on his left nostril. It didn't look 'punk' at all; in fact, on this guy, if anything it made him look _more_ sophisticated.

Hagaku stood and bowed, Shion following suit as they walked over to the door. "Oh, and Shion." The teen stopped and looked back at Mr Satou.

"Do enjoy your time here to your fullest."

Shion nodded as he turned back around, worry slowly making itself evident. He swore that he heard an edge of something sinister under those words. Shion shoock his head and brushed it off as paranoia from his experiences in No.6. The blonde beside him smiled and winked at him once the door was shut.

"Now than Shion, do you really need to be shown around?" Hagaku asked making Shion laugh. This man seemed like he would be fun to be around.

"No, I already have the layout of the campus memorised," he replied happily, watching curiously as the older male turned and began walking towards the front door.

"Then let's go get some lunch!" he said cheerfully as he winked at Shion again. The ruby eyed teen laughed again and followed the older male. This day was going to be fun.

* * *

Shion opened the door to his room, glancing at the clock before heading over to the balcony; it was already four o'clock. Shima wasn't around, so before Shion went out on the balcony he walked into the kitchen and found a note on the fridge.

_You were taking too long and I was bored. When you get back, text me and I'll tell you where I am._

_Shima_

Shion laughed at his roommate's obvious lack of patience and quickly sent him a message, grabbing some cheese out of the fridge and giving it to Hamlet before going over to the shops across the road which Shima indicated in a swift reply. He was excited about what Shima had offered; buying new clothes was something he hadn't done in a very long time. Usually, his mother did the clothes shopping for him. Grinning from ear to ear Shion rode the elevator to the ground floor and checked Shima's reply again to double check exactly which shop he'd be at, instantly recognising the name; it was right across from the bookstore he'd visited yesterday.

Once he'd arrived at the shop Shima instantly jumped on him, hugging him tightly and excitedly telling him about all the perfect outfits he'd found for Shion. The teen simply laughed and allowed him to be ushered into a dressing room, looking at the four different outfits that were hanging off individual hooks. Shion grabbed the one closest to the door without question and changed.

"So how was ya appointment with the big boss?" Shima's cheerful voice fazed through the door making Shion laugh again as he pulled on the black skinny jeans. He wasn't used to the clingy feel of the pants, but he didn't doubt Shima's judgement.

"It was good. He seems like a nice guy. His secretary was pretty cool too," he replied as he pulled the shirt over his head and exited the room, showing Shima the outfit and turning so he could see himself in the mirror.

"See aren't I a genius! I just knew tha' would look awesome on ya! I even guessed tha right sizes." The violet haired teen cheered as Shion looked at the outfit in the full-length mirror.

He had a checked red, grey, white and black shirt that shaped his torso perfectly, a pair of black skinnies that hugged his legs and slim hips, a red belt strung through the loops. Nodding in approval, twirling once to show off the entire outfit, he went back into the change room and put it aside to buy later. All the outfits were mostly the same style, just in different colours and patterns. Shaking his head he changed back into his original clothes; a pair of brown slacks and a grey shirt, covered by his favourite red-brown jacket. He slung the new clothes over his shoulder and headed back out and over to the register, listening in amusement to Shima say how he'd sworn he heard Hamlet fart. Shion laughed at his friend as they walked to a shoe store to buy some Converse and DC's. Shion didn't really get why he needed so many but according to Shima 'they had to be colour co-ordinated'.

After they had finished shopping, Shima took him to a big restaurant on the top level of the shops, somehow managing to get them a table near the window so they could look out at how the city looked at night. Once they were seated and had ordered their dinner Shion glanced out the window and at the dark sky. It was covered with black-grey and partially green clouds. The teen instantly knew that there would be a storm that night and his eyes lit up in barely concealed excitement as he looked to Shima.

"So aside from documenting random things about my robotic mouse, what did you do today?" he asked as the taller teen beamed.

"Well, first after you left I had a shower, which was really nice 'cause there was hot water. At ma' old dorms the otha' guy's used all tha hot water before I could get in there and I neva' had a good shower. Than after that I watched Hamlet scurry around lookin' for ya', than after tha' I got bored an' wen' to the shops where I started lookin' fer outfits fer ya. Then ya messaged me and we met up." Shima said, his strong accent making Shion giggle. It was cool that he spoke like that, and that was just the way he was. Shion couldn't manage it; every time he tried to imitate Shima he just sounded weird.

"Sounds fun-"He started but Shima cut him off jumping up and down in his chair.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I also ran into this hot chick. She had black hair an' biiig blue eyes! But dude, she had massive boobs!" He practically shouted the last part making Shion simultaneously crack up laughing and blush in embarrassment. While he was trying to pull himself back together and ignore the disapproving glares, their food was brought over and placed in front of them. "So wa' bout ya, skinny?" Shima asked as he picked up a chip and munched on it slowly.

"Well, I went to the appointment and spoke with Mr Satou, then I was going to get showed around by his assistant Hagaku. But, he just brushed it off and we went and had lunch, and walked around the shops chatting," Shion said as he picked up his burger and began eating it.

"You know, it's not safe to trust everyone you meet, Shion." Shima said, his goofy accent suddenly non-existent as he gave Shion a concerned gaze. His voice had instantly dropped into a low, serious tone. The familiarity of this conversation and one he had with Safu all those years ago was shocking, but Shion hid his uneasiness and laughed.

"I know, I know," he replied, taking another bite of his burger as he looked back out the window, looking up at the clouds.

"It's gonna be a huge storm tonight, but I gotta go ta ma' parents' house to say bye bafore they leave. They're gonna go ta No.4 'cause of their jobs," Shima said, directing Shion's attention back to him. He seemed to have noticed how Shion didn't like that particular topic and had made a conscious effort to move on.

"Oh, really? Why aren't you going with them?" Shion asked curiously as he picked at his fries. He wasn't really that hungry anymore.

"Are ya kiddin'? I just got inta one of tha best universities out there and ya think I'm just gonna up and go? No way!" Shima said, taking a huge bite of his burger, making Shion look at his friend's plate and laugh at how it was pretty much empty. Shion looked back at his own, which had barely been touched. Man, this guy could eat…! After waiting for Shima to finish his food, Shion walked with him to the entrance of the shop and they both went their separate ways, Shion running across the road as the rain began falling and Shima disappearing around a corner.

Shaking a few drops out of his hair Shion glanced at the clock above the reception desk and frowned at the time- 09:25pm. He hadn't realised he'd been out for so long. Rubbing a hand through his hand Shion caught the elevator up to his floor and walked into his room, throwing the bags of clothes and shoes onto the bed and taking off his jacket as he sat on his bed, looking out at the rain pouring heavily from the sky, memories of when he and Nezumi first met flashing across his line of vision.

"_She said you're in the Special Course?"_

"_Starting next month"_

"_That's amazing. So your IQ is high?"_

"_Are you making fun of me?"_

Shion laughed at the memory, Nezumi had seemed so strange back then, so unique. A large blast of wind directed Shion's attention back to the rain. It felt like he was being pulled, just like that day many years ago, as he stood and walked over to the doors, throwing them open as wind blew his white hair back. Walking over to the edge of his balcony he couldn't resist the temptation as he placed his hands on the railing and screamed his voice washing away in the roar of the wind.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"_What were you arrested for? They said you escaped en route to a correctional facility."_

"_That's a lie. I was already at the correctional facility. The Safety Bureau brought me here to No.6."_

"_You were brought here?!"_

"_Exactly."_

"_Where were you? ...The City Hall? Why would they take you to the centre of the city?"_

"_You're better off not knowing."_

"_But I'm asking you!"_

"_Shut it already… Just let me go to sleep."_

"_So, you can't tell me?"_

"_Can you forget something you've been told? Can you pretend you never heard it? Can you put on a face and pretend you don't know anything? …..You may be damn smart, but I don't think you're mature enough to do that."_

Shion looked up at the sky, silent tears falling from his eyes at the memories. Leaning back he screamed again, letting out all his anger, all his sadness, all his doubt, all his fear….

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Opening his eyes again Shion let the rain wash down his face and body, soaking him to the skin. Finally he headed inside to have a shower. Nights like this drained him, both physically and mentally.

The figure sat back in their chair, jewellery catching in the dim light and snagging their attention. Twisting the small piece of jewellery the figure watched the monitor as Shion walked back into his dorm and out of its sight. They had watched the whole thing. They now cherished there decision to come here to Skylink. What a truly interesting child this boy was…

* * *

_Yuki-Bwahahahahahahahahhahaha! Ahhh, don't you all wish you knew who this mysterious person is that keeps popping up? When sorry but I ain't telling~ Hehehehe_

_Kitzabitza- Yeeeeey for your work! Ack, I'm sorry for changing a fair bit. Just minor rewordings here and there, but now I feel bad… :x *gives cookie so you don't hit me*_

_Yuki- *Eats cookie* Anyway~ Let us know how we're doing guys, stories like this need to be prompted XD_

_Kitzabitza- We'd love to hear your opinion!_

_Yuki- See you all next chapter~!_


	5. Hidden In Plain Sight

_Disclaimer: We don't own No.6 or the characters, only our OC's and the ideas behind this story._

_Warnings: Coarse language and violence_

_Chapter Summary: After his close call with No.5 authorities, Nezumi has started trying to get his act together and follow through with his monitoring of Shion with much more care. He digs a little deeper beneath the surface of Skylink, and what is it that he discovers both there and in himself?_

* * *

_**CHAPTER 5 – HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT**_

The cries could be heard even over the buffeting rain.

Nezumi swept his drenched hair back from his face as he ran through the torrents of water pounding down on him, trying his best to cradle the saturated Cravat in his arms and protect his delicate wiring. His boots sprayed muddy puddles up against his legs, smothering his clothes in thick brown sludge. The icy water soaked him right down to the bone, and shivers wracked his body.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" echoed a familiar voice, drowned out only by a sudden crackle of thunder. Blinding lightning streaked across the sky in a startling flash, illuminating Nezumi's taught expression for a split second.

It was difficult to be running away from the voice that was instantly identifiable, but he had to get as far away from his original location as possible. The officer wasn't going to be out for long, and was most likely back on his feet by now. Patrol groups couldn't be sent out in this relentless wet weather in the pitch black blanket of night, and Nezumi was grateful for Mother Nature's assistance in a swift escape. Although it was an extreme measure, distancing himself as much as is humanly possible in this storm would help to wash away any tracks he left, and allow minimal evidence leading back to him. It was a tiring task he had to carry out thanks to his ignorance.

"Tch…" he hissed, pulling his heavy, water-soaked scarf tighter around his neck. The wet fabric slapped him in the face as he twisted through a line of shrubs, more pools of rainwater sloshing over his feet. His breath came out in short gasps, clouds of condensation forming briefly before him before they were swallowed by the blanket of water cloaking the air.

Something caught his foot, and Nezumi cried out in alarm before he tumbled forwards, smacking painfully into the mud. His stomach screamed in agony, the wind completely knocked out of him. He gaped soundlessly like a fish, trying to regain air but his mouth filled with pure, clean water. Spitting it out, Nezumi clawed through the mud and dragged himself under a small cave formed by ornately arranged rocks in a nearby garden.

The relief was instant; the pounding rain no longer touched his shuddering form, the deafening noise reduced to a dull patter above him, the darkness in this confined space more comforting than claustrophobic, and that same cry ringing through the sweet-smelling air.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Shion cried somewhere in the distance again, his voice almost inaudible over the roar of the storm but perceptible nonetheless. Nezumi let out a low sigh, leaning against the side of the cave and spreading his aching legs. A small smile touched his lips. Sure, it would be great to see Shion face to face again, but he wouldn't achieve anything by stumbling out in the torrential downpour outside. Even though that longing lingered deep down and felt only gentle, Nezumi had a suspicion he wanted to witness that sight that was a miracle to him all that time ago more than he ought to. That innocently opened window, that little boy who seemed to be screaming out to Nezumi and Nezumi alone 'Come inside!'… It all changed his life which had felt on the verge of fading away.

No, he was happy sitting here and simply hearing his voice again. That was more reassuring than any second hand information from a girl who appeared to harbour far too many secrets.

Nezumi stripped off his sodden coat, scarf and socks, leaving them draped over his boots to hopefully dry a bit by morning. His eyes, which now felt much heavier than he had first anticipated, slid closed and he mumbled something reassuring to himself, smiling sleepily, but there was no way that he would ever remember what he said because he was already sailing through the world of dreams.

"Good night, my love."

* * *

_Pipipipipipipipipipipipipipi pi._

Nezumi groaned and rolled over, flicking his hand to shoo away the noise. He squeezed his still tired eyes tighter.

_Pipipipipipipipipipipipipipi pi._

"Go away…" A soft nose tickled his face, and he twitched at the sensation. "Cravat, not now…" He reached out patted the ground, looking for the robotic mouse, and when his hands enclosed around the mechanical animal he pushed down on it gently, pressing a button in its back. _I don't remember setting an alarmmmmm…_

"Nezumi! Nezumi, I know it's still early but this is urgent!"

_Rioka!_

Nezumi flung himself upright, roaring in pain when his forehead smashed against the hard roof of the cave. Pain screamed in his skull, his entire head beginning to throb and spin. _What did she say? Urgent?!_

"Nezumi, _are you there?_"There was an edge of panic in her voice; a scraping fear that raked against Nezumi's shivering bones. He blinked at the soft but vivid light of the early morning sun, the grey sky illuminated by a heavenly, orange glow. He grasped his fingers around Cravat, the robot squeaking slightly as he was squeezed none-too-gently, and held it before his face.

"I'm here!" he stammered, still half asleep but quivering as cold sweat ran down his back. _What's happened? Why would she need to contact me so early? _Nezumi's thoughts blurred, his clouded and sleepy head sore and unable to process anything that this pounding panic injected into him. "What's going on?"

"I don't have time to explain," Rioka rushed, her words hasty and clipped. "Just get over to the dor- no, that way you'd be seen… The office building right next to the dorms! It's empty at the moment! Get there now! Hurry!"

Nezumi didn't waste any time.

Not bothering to throw on his other clothes – which were probably still drenched, anyway – he bounded out of the tiny rock cave, stuffing Cravat in his pocket. His limbs still ached from his trek through the storm last night and curling up in a ball in the dirt probably didn't help, but he couldn't be wasting his time complaining and massaging his cramped body. Something had happened…! But what?! A million different possibilities rushed through Nezumi's head as he sprinted out of the gardens he had dragged himself through, water dripping from the leaves above him and splashing onto his clammy skin. He burst from the thick shrubs and tramped over carefully tended flowers, right now not caring about the state of the garden, only about Shion.

He powered through the dew-dotted grass, mud clinging to the bare soles of his feet. His body began to shiver from the lack of clothing – he was covered only by a thin cotton shirt and still damp, cold cargo pants – but he still ran and ran and ran. Stones cut his uncovered feet, thorny weeds raked at his legs. His arms pumped wildly at his sides, the wind whipping his long grey hair back. The pain the various scratches etching into his skin was miniscule in comparison to the twisting agony in his pounding, throbbing chest.

_Why didn't I go after him last night?_

_Were they not screams of joy at the storm, but…_

_Screams of pain?_

Nezumi gritted his teeth, ignoring the biting stitch forming in his ribs, and ran more and more and more. His legs seemed to now move of their own accord he was sprinting that fast. He was a tangle of flying limbs racing like a blur through the grass.

A building rose in his vision. _Yes! Yes, that's the office building! _He powered on until he reached it, skidding messily to a stop. The adrenaline suddenly drained, and his face blanched as all strength was sapped from his limbs. Nezumi wobbled on his legs, suddenly struggling to stand up. The fear that had driven him here so quickly, set his body alight so strongly he had been able to overcome any weariness and almost completely forget about it, now made him feel suddenly ill. Queasiness churned in his stomach. He pressed his hand against the building, leaning his weight on it to keep himself upright. He felt that he could be toppled over at the slightest gust of wind.

He whipped his head around. _Where the hell is Rioka?! _The bubbly, smirking teenage girl was nowhere to be seen.

"Nezumi!"

Rioka was bolting towards him, skidding around from the other side of the office building. "Thank god you made it in time!" Unlike him, she was fully dressed. Her multicolour woven sweater and red skinny jeans looked unscathed, perfectly pressed, and almost strangely presentable for this early in the morning. Her breath puffed in clouds of condensation from her freshly glossed lips. Somehow, the sight of this girl with her burning green gaze and the ability to help didn't calm Nezumi, but set him more on edge. He suddenly felt his stomach drop, anxiety boiling over.

His heart began to pound, chest tightening. He gripped her suddenly by the shoulders, fingers sinking into the soft, thick fabric of her top. "What happened? What's the meaning of this?! _Is Shion okay?"_

She pushed him back, face pale. For once, that mischievous look that seemed to be plastered on her face was nowhere to be seen. "He… He…"

Nezumi's stomach fluttered painfully. Images spun in his head, each a grisly scene of Shion's pastel, unmoving face. Normally ruby, glowing eyes void of any life. Slack jaw. Endless rivers of blood. He shook Rioka back and forth wildly. "He's _WHAT?"_

Rioka stared Nezumi right in the eye, emerald orbs staring right through Nezumi's darting ashen ones and prying through his deep inner turmoil. Her expression was stone, unmoving, and Nezumi's expression was equally as cold. Through that glance, there was some mutual understanding, a communication that words were incapable of carrying. Nezumi swallowed a painful lump in his throat, dreading the worst. _I knew it… _The instant the pair had locked eyes, he knew for sure his fears would be confirmed. Something dreadful, something so horrible he would never be able to speak of it…

Rioka's face split with a wide, wicked grin, and she doubled over in laughter.

Nezumi froze, a human statue. His eyelid began to twitch frantically.

…_What?! How can she be laughing! _He suddenly felt so cheated, so ridiculed. _Is this all a game to her? Shion is… He's… He's not fucking okay! This is no laughing matter!_

Rioka slapped her knee repeatedly, wiping a stream of tears from her eyes. Her sides shuddered madly and her legs looked like they were threatening to collapse. Nezumi was dumb founded, staring blankly at the girl who looked like she had suddenly gone into hysterics.

"H-hahaha, I-I c-cahahaha… Can't believe you f-fell for that!" stammered Rioka, trying to stifle the giggles that continued to rise forth. She choked on the sniggers, clutching her aching ribs. Nezumi blinked in confusion, a sick feeling churning in his stomach.

"…Fell for what?"

Rioka lost whatever control she had managed to grasp, howling in wild laughter once more. It was like there was some kind of inside joke hidden in Nezumi's words, and only she could understand how hilarious it was. She threw her head back, brown and red hair flicking everywhere as she trembled in hilarity. Nezumi could feel his face burning with fury. _Was she just making a fool out of me?! _

She gasped for air, finally regaining composure. Wiping the last few tears of laughter from her eyes, she said with a smirk, "I thought it would be fun to pull your strings just a little. You always seemed so uptight, I couldn't resist! Look at you, barely dressed and covered in scrapes!" Her voice suddenly became babyish and mocking. "Aww, does the little rat need some Band-Aids for his boo-boos?"

Nezumi growled, glancing down at himself briefly. His shirt had slipped, exposing his solid yet pale and graceful shoulder and his refined, angular collar bones. In fact, the shirt had become so messed up – and it didn't fit his slim frame particularly well, either – that almost his entire upper body was visible. It hung loosely on his pale skin, which was tainted with several thin scratches from thorns and sharp twigs. The cuffs of his cargo pants were splattered with water and mud, his feet just as caked in the products of last night's storm. He tugged at his hair in embarrassment, and a few leaves tumbled from his thick locks. Rioka's smile widened as Nezumi quickly brushed them all out, gritting his teeth.

Nezumi froze. _Wait… 'Pull my strings'?_

"Rioka…" growled Nezumi, teeth clenched in anger that slowly began to boil. "Was this all just some lame excuse?" Rioka chuckled softly, delicate fingers pressed over her smile and brightly painted nails glimmering. "Shion's not hurt at all, is he?"

"Hm. It seems you're a bit sharper than you come across to be."

"Why, you…!"

Nezumi dived towards her, smug grin across her face, hand flying for the knife he kept in his boot. _I can't take this girl anymore…! _But, his fingers only met the slick, muddy flesh of his bare foot. Stumbling awkwardly, he scowled when he remembered he was only half dressed. His boots, along with his trusty knife, were safely tucked away back in the cave beneath the rest of his clothes. He nearly fell forward into the bright green grass, but instead smashed his head roughly against Rioka's arm. She didn't lose her balance in the slightest as she grabbed his loose shirt, hoisting the startled rat upright again.

"Well, maybe just a _bit _sharper."

Rioka released Nezumi's shirt, spinning slowly around with a gentle smirk on her face. She began to saunter away, curvy hips swaying as she whistled an amused tune. Nezumi recognised it as the same cheery melody she had hummed when he had first discovered the strange, elusive girl at the train station. However, this time he was not filled with a new hope at the sight of her, but a bubbling anger that threatened to take him over.

She was destructive. Eccentric. Bizarre. Smug. A haughty, manipulative control freak with no concern for other people's emotions.

She stole a glance over her shoulder, emerald depths of her eyes glimmering with amusement as she slipped around the corner. Nezumi ached to follow her, make her learn her place… If only he could. He had no forms of persuasion, and it was already clear she wouldn't take him seriously in his jungle-man state.

And there was no way he would be able to have a rational conversation with her after he had just been so blatantly ridiculed. He stood there, rooted to the ground by his own shame.

_What a fool I am. _

He was about to drag his exhausted body and cloudy head back to the small stone cave to dress properly, when he noticed a little glimmer in the grass. Nezumi crouched in the dew-dotted lawn, reaching his hand out and closing his fingers around the cold, shining object.

It was a necklace.

Nezumi curiously turned it over in his palm, the unexpected solid weight of it gratifying in his palm. He ran his fingers over the delicately carved pendant; a beautiful metal rose which looked as fragile and velvety as the real flower right beneath a heavy yet still delicate looking radiant silver sun. Swirling spirals of engraved metal circled around the two symbolic objects, the textures of the pendant strange against Nezumi's skin. That was when he noticed three words etched into the beautiful curling petals of the metal rose:

_My Little Flower._

Nezumi had never seen such an articulate design, and the discovery of this beautiful piece of jewellery was both startling and wonderful. Who could have dropped it? He glanced around. The sky was streaked with patches of golden light as the sun slowly rose to greet the world, grey lifeless colour fading into the radiance of day. There was nobody else wandering around during these early hours, and Rioka's footsteps had already faded into silence. _Could somebody have lost it a while ago? _Nezumi inspected the necklace closer, and saw that no dirt had settled into the fine etchings in its design, no tarnishes marred its gleaming, perfectly smooth surface. Nothing supported the theory it had been waiting patiently in the lawn for its owner to retrieve it. If anything, it looked like it was brand new, settled in the luscious green grass just so Nezumi could find it.

Its mysterious beauty now seemed alien. The cool, pleasant touch of the thin chain now seemed to burn into his skin.

Nezumi gritted his teeth. _Striking but mysterious in a way you just can't quite grasp. Now, who does this remind me of… _he thought sarcastically.

"Rioka!" he called, getting up from the ground and enclosing the metal chain in his fist. "Rioka, is this yours?" He wandered off in the direction she had gone, a deep part of him dreading seeing her smug little face again but wanting more to get rid of this strange yet alluring jewellery. Turning the corner, he was met with nothing but an empty field, dew on the grass glowing orange from the slowly brightening light.

"Rioka?"

A hand suddenly grasped his exposed shoulder.

Nezumi jumped in alarm, whipping around with fists ready to pound his attacker flat, and his eyes met the cool, calm brown gaze of a middle aged man, cropped black hair tidy and formal and face clean shaven which completely contradicted the casual, loose clothing hanging from his solid build.

_Crap! Don't do this the way you did yesterday, you stupid Nezumi. Think before you speak. _

"Oh, sorry, you startled me," Nezumi sighed, wiping the deep frown from his face and replacing it with a gentle smile of relief.

The man smiled back, releasing Nezumi. "What's a little braniac like you from Skylink doing out here this early in the morning?" His accent was strange and thick, like he was talking with a mouthful of peanut butter, but his foreign pronunciations didn't mask the fact his words were sincere. _Good, if he's convinced I'm a student here, this will be a lot easier to worm my way out of. _

Nezumi laughed, acting nervous. "Ah, well, I was talking to my roommate when she suddenly ran off. I couldn't see where she'd gotten to, and I thought I saw her go outside. I was worried about what she was up to."

He frowned, brown depths pondering. "Couldn't you just find out her location from those identification bracelets of yours? They have tracking devices, don't they?"

_Ah, crap. Forgot about _those things_ again. _"Didn't come to mind actually!" Nezumi gestured to his messy, baggy clothing. "As you can see, I didn't even bother getting dressed because her departure was so sudden. I'd taken off my bracelet to sleep, and didn't put it on this morning. Ah, I'm not quite used to the bracelet system here in No.5 just yet," he added quickly, hoping the man would understand his "naivety" concerning the bracelets. Surely there were new people coming in who forgot about them, right?

The man laughed, and slapped Nezumi playfully on the back. "Well, that makes too of us." _Oh, thank you Lord. _"I've only transferred recently from No.3, and it's still a little strange to me. Come on, I'll escort you back inside and then help you find your friend. It's a policeman's job to help the community!" He saluted, a cheery grin cracking on his face. Wrapping his arm around Nezumi's shoulders, he began leading him away. The blunette's stomach dropped, colour draining from his face.

_No! No, I can't go in there! You're supposed to let me go on my way! And POLICEMAN? Why did I have to run into a plain-clothed policeman, of all people!_

"It's perfectly okay, officer," Nezumi insisted, struggling to sound calm and talk coherently with his sand-paper dry mouth. He only hoped he was convincing. _Shit! I need to work on my acting skills… _"I can get back on my own. I'm sure there is much more you need to do on this fine day. I never would have guessed you were in the police force! I mean, you're not in a uniform."

"I'm off duty today," he replied, not noticing Nezumi's subtle attempts to wriggle free. "And nonsense. Whether I'm obliged to care or not, I'm not going to leave you alone. That's just the sort of guy I am!"

_Shitshitshitshitshit._

"Oh, there's Norman!" said the man, waving to a figure clad in a freshly pressed police uniform facing away from the pair. He leaned into Nezumi, "He's a friend of mine from the department." His arm waved enthusiastically in the air again. "Norman! What are you up to on this fine day?"

Norman whipped around, the friendly grin on his face instantly fading when he saw Nezumi under the other officer's arm. _Oh crap. _

It was the officer from yesterday afternoon.

Nezumi flinched, cold eyes flicking side to side nervously, his heart beginning to pound. Norman's mouth gaped open, shaking finger pointing straight at Nezumi. He had a few scrapes and bruises on him and a faint black eye, but other than that he was completely unscathed. He formed words silently, jaw working, as Nezumi stiffened in the strong grip of the confused man at his side.

"Hey, buddy, what's wrong?" asked the man holding Nezumi, tilting his head curiously.

Norman bore his eyes right though Nezumi's skull. "_You._"

"Huh?"

Nezumi spied the opportunity when the man was distracted, twisted out of his grip, turned and ran.

His muddy feet slipped on the moist grass, and he stumbled a few times but he urged his body onward. Overworked joints and muscles screamed in complaint, but he ignored the surges of discomfort. Norman raced after him, the pounding of his boots on the ground thudding deafeningly in Nezumi's ears, drumming against his head just as much as his rising pulse was. _Run. Run. Run! _His feet were lead stuck deep in the ground. He could barely move beyond a jog, but he forced his weary limbs to move more and carry his body far away from this danger that was making his head race. Finally his legs began to listen to him, and he ran as fast as he dared on his wet, slimy feet. He could feel the terrified Cravat snuggle deeper into his pocket, away from the menace he could sense. He flung the necklace away, no longer caring whether he returned that perfectly crafted beauty to its owner or not.

Nezumi was completely defenceless this time, with both the gun and his knife back with his other belongings, and being on the grounds of an elite university meant that swarms of men with weapons to subdue him could be close. There was no chance of him fighting his way out of there. He wasn't surprised if Norman had already called for backup. After all, Nezumi was a strange man on the run with no identification, and possibly armed with a fully loaded hand gun.

_CRAP. RUN. RUN. RUN._

"Hey! Stop! Stop now, or I'll shoot!" rang Norman's infuriated voice, and Nezumi almost tripped when he heard the loud crack of a gunshot. _He has ANOTHER FUCKING GUN!_ "Stop now and drop the stolen arms, and any other weapons you are carrying! Now! You're under arrest!"

Nezumi ran faster than he had ever before, arms pumping wildly at his sides and chest heaving in an attempt to get sufficient air. His body felt heavier than concrete, dragged down by solid chains, but he had to keep going. Every joint screamed in agony, his muscles threatening to give way and drop him into the dirt in an exhausted heap. Norman's cries and demands for him to stop became more distant as Nezumi dove like a blur into the scrub he had only just fled from. A bullet whizzed past his head, embedding itself in a tree only inches from where he was. Gritting his teeth, he dashed over the thick garden, sharp branches clawing angrily at his face.

Voices of several more men echoed over through the brightening sky.

The gentle orange light shining through the leaves above looked less like beautiful, radiant sunlight than streams of blood falling from the heavens, beams of anger and hatred seeking out Nezumi's figure bounding through the forest.

Nezumi's head spinning from both exhaustion and desperation, he took a drastic measure and turned completely off course and ran straight for a nearby stream. He had noticed it last night in his wild thrash through the rain, and with a large group now hot on his heels using it to mask his trail was his best possible option. His bare feet crunched loudly in the undergrowth, and as soon as the clean torrent of water came into view he flung the cowering Cravat out of his pocket and leapt off the ground and straight into its icy depths.

He tumbled into the small river of water, and was instantly engulfed in the cool embrace of its currents. The shrieking noises of the men's angry voices and the gunshots were silenced, his ears filled only with the muffled sound of the rushing water. The clear fluid coaxed the mud out of his clothes and washed over his clammy, scratch-covered skin.

Feeling his lungs tighten as they ran out of air, he surfaced and took a deep gulp of fresh air. His wet grey locks plastered to his face, little rivers of water running into his weary, sombre eyes.

"Well, this is just great. I'm all wet again," he said aloud, turning to Cravat who was digging himself out of the bed of leaves on the ground. The robotic mouse scratched his ear, looking at Nezumi with a look that said 'Why did you have to throw me?' Nezumi smirked. "Heh, I really am just a pathetic little drowned Rat, aren't I?" Cravat squeaked meekly in response.

Nezumi waded slowly upstream back towards his cave and belongings, grateful he couldn't hear any more voices or obvious footsteps. Either the policemen were incredibly skilled in moving completely undetected in thick scrub, which is near impossible, or they hadn't trailed Nezumi well enough to carry out a full search. On his way back to the cave, Nezumi slowly calmed his breathing while cursing quietly to himself. Cravat followed beside the stream for a while, before jumping out onto his master's head and hooking his claws into Nezumi's wet hair, enjoying a little ride.

By the time Nezumi got back to the cave, he was practically asleep on his feet. The sun had fully risen, peeking through the windows of those pampered nerds back at Skylink to awake them to another day of studies, but Nezumi was already ready for bed time.

He sagged down in the cave, shivering as the cool water soaking his clothes became colder still as the wind teased his shuddering figure. Groaning sleepily and struggling to hold his eyes open, he slowly peeled the drenched clothing from his body. He groped for his coat, and was relieved to find it almost dry. He wrapped it around his naked body, the trembling stopping almost immediately. His aching body relaxed completely, all the tension draining from him.

Sighing in relief, he let his eyes slide close before he could let the thought of the policemen finding him practically naked in a cave worry him.

* * *

Cravat nibbling playfully on his nose awoke him sometime in the afternoon.

He ran his fingers over Cravat's head, the rat snuggling against his hand.

"Did you chase away all those guys, buddy?" he hummed, grateful for a companion. "You're a good boy."

Nezumi slowly pulled himself up, stretching with a loud yawn and sighing in relief when his back cracked. The sun was nestled fairly low in the sky, but its warm rays still basked onto his cool flesh. Goosebumps rippled along his skin when the coat around his otherwise naked body slipped, exposing his body to the chilly breeze. Nezumi shivered, wrapping it tighter around himself. His hand wandered over to his clothes, which were still a little damp but had mostly dried out in the sun. Grateful to finally have all of his clothes dry and wearable, he pulled them on – leaving his boots off – and sank back into the back of the cave, back against the coarse stones.

He had certainly had a hectic 24 hour run.

Running his fingers through his untied locks, Cravat scuttling up his leg to nestle on his knee, he watched the sun set. Its radiant beauty was the first thing he had been able to calmly appreciate since this time the evening before. It was just over two days since he had first set foot in No.5, and it looked like there was plenty more that the city had in store for him.

Skylink was proving to be more interesting than he had anticipated.

_Shion… You're important to me, but I don't know how long I can keep this up. There's people thirsty for my blood out there, I just know it. You're one of the few people I've actually worried about in my life, but… I don't know if I'm prepared to die for you. Damned airhead. _

Cravat squeaked cheerily, clawing playfully at Nezumi's leg.

…_Or am I the airhead for going to these lengths for a boy I barely know? Was I just as stupid those few months ago back in West Block? Am I really going soft?_

Suddenly, the rat on his knee stiffened, nose twitching, and a soft beeping sounded from its open jaws.

_Pipipipipipipipipi._

_Crap, not again._

Nezumi reluctantly answered the call, and gritted his teeth in frustration.

"I'm not talking to you," he spat, frustration bubbling when he heard an amused snicker on the end.

"Well, aren't we mature," Rioka sang in a teasing tone. "And I thought you'd want that information you asked for."

Nezumi jumped. He'd almost forgotten about what he'd demanded of her yesterday; the background details of Shion's room-mate, Shima. Maybe he was prying too deep into Shion's personal affairs, but on hearing about Shima he had instantly felt uncomfortable. "…Go on."

There was the sound of rustling paper on the other end before Rioka spoke. "There really wasn't that much interesting stuff to find. What a boring task you set for me… 'Shima Akisura, 18 years old, has lived in No.5 most of his life, has family both in No.4 and No.5 and parents who have recently received work opportunities in No.4, no criminal records, majors in ecology'… Other than that, nothing. Was that all?"

Nezumi bit his lip. _Thank god. At least he sounds okay. Still, you can't judge a man's personality just from him personal details… _At least most of his worries were relieved."Thanks Rioka. That's all I need for now."

"You're welcome," she replied, with a hint of a giggle.

Nezumi went to hang up.

"Wait."

The blunette froze, his hand hanging in mid-air. "Yes?"

"I have a question for you," hummed Rioka, her voice lowering to a whisper. "You asked me yesterday why I'm doing this for you, and I answered truthfully. It's only fair if you give me a little information in return."

Nezumi raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What? I can't do any investigations in return. I'm practically running for my life. There's no doubt about it, if the police find me I'll be shot on sight. They know I'm armed." _…Should I have told her I have weapons? No, it's no matter. She's strange and an egocentric lunatic, but I don't take her for a tell-tale. She can keep a secret, I'm sure._

Rioka let out a burst of laughter. "Information? Hah! No, that's not what I want." Her voice dropped low again. "I know why I'm helping you, but why did _you _ask me to do this for you? What about this Shion boy is so important to you?"

Nezumi froze. _What about him…? It's not really something _about _him… Except for the fact he's got his head so deep in the clouds he has no chance at survival. I need to protect him. No… That's not it. I don't need to. I have no obligation to keep him safe. I… I _**want** _to protect him…? _

"What is Shion to you?" Rioka insisted.

_I've dwelled on this before, but there's something in my heart I don't know if I can identify. It draws me to Shion, pulls me closer, makes me need to see him and hear his voice… Is this a desire or an emotion? Or an instinct? Is it simply that I want to protect him, or… something more? What exactly is he to me? I've never really thought of him as a friend, and this feeling isn't like a desire to protect your own kin… He's not like family to me at all. This is something else entirely… Why is my heart beating faster? Why is my mind on him all the time? Is this emptiness in my chest because of him? _

_Do… Do I…_

"Nezumi," Rioka repeated, "What is Shion to you?"

…_love him?_

Nezumi smiled. _Of course. _

"It's because I'm in love with him, Rioka."

_I love him. It's as simple as that. All this time I've wondered and wondered, afraid of my own feelings, but that's all it was. Nothing I can't control, nothing irrational or dangerous. Just love. I want to keep him safe because he is the special one in my heart. I want to see him again so I can hold him in my arms. His happiness is my own, because without his smile I know I would be lost for good. As long as he is alright, this warm feeling will burn until the end of time. Why has it not clicked until now? _Nezumi knew deep down that he had felt this way about Shion all along, but he had just not been ready to see that until today. He had been unstable, unable to cope with this feeling that felt so alien, yet so completely right. He was falling, but not down into a spiralling dark pit. He was falling in love with the strange boy who had saved his life.

A single tear slipped from his deep, silver eyes, but not one of sadness or despair. One of relief and joy.

Nezumi expected Rioka to laugh, be disgusted, or simply hang up, but she gave an entirely different response. "I see," she said calmly, laughing gently and without scorn. "Well then, thank you for that. Good evening Nezumi." She disconnected the call.

The smile on Nezumi's face didn't fade. The tear trickled down his cheek and he swallowed it, the salty taste filling his mouth. He held his fingertips to the grin on his lips, and held his hand out to the spectacularly orange sky.

"Shion," he whispered softly, the name sweet on his tongue. "Let my heart reach you in your dreams."

* * *

_Kitabitza: Aaaah! Guys, hello again! My god, this was a reaaaally long one. I'M SORRY, THIS MADE ME TAKE LONGER. *apologises profusely* But, what do you think? Nezumi has finally realised his feelings! YAY._

_Yuki: Yay! Great job Kitzabitza! And sorry guys my chapter will probably take a while as well cuz I have school junk and internet that is only connected around 5% of the time :/ but I'll try!_

_Kitzabitza: *cries* This segment is nearing its end. Kind of. You're in store for plenty more excitement!_

_Yuki: GO! GO! GO! Well we still have at least another four chappies each so 'nearing its end' kinda qualifies? But yea it is going to be AMAZING! We promise! See you all next chapter! Review us ne? :3_

_Kitzabitza: See you next chapter!_


	6. Try To Lie

_Chapter Summary- Shion aces all the tests and is soon asked to just start working for Satou directly. But something is off and his new acquaintances all seem to be hiding something from him. _

_Disclaimer- Swearing, violence, subtle threats._

_Authors Note- HHEEELLLOOOOOOO~! Beloved readers! So sorry for the spontaneous updating but school is just so annoying lately and I just can't find the time. Anyway, I noticed while re-reading everything that I never gave you my fanfic pen name so: 'Yuki Tsunade' Feel free to visit_ **my**_ profile. I write GrimmIchi's, SasuNaru's, Izuo's, BonxRin, YukioxShima, I think I have a NezuShi up aaannd I love a whole bunch more that I could potentially write about in le future. I also do requests so feel free to ask me if you want. Now… On with the story!_

* * *

_**CHAPTER 6 – TRY TO LIE**_

Shion woke with a start when he felt something wet slide over his hand. Bringing it up reflexively while simultaneously sitting up, he felt his hand connect with something hard and heard an exclamation of pain. Looking down, Shima lay on the ground clutching his face in obvious pain. Sighing, Shion put two and two together and casually wiped his licked hand on his sheet.

"Reflex, a Noun. An action that is performed without conscious thought as a response to a stimulus." He states as he slides out of bed and steps over Shima to get to his cupboard, grabbing a pair of faded black jeans and a red shirt with a black and white skull on it, he calmly walks out of the room and into the bathroom. Ignoring the violet eyed teen's complaints of Shion's lack of love, he quickly dressed.

It has been a full three days since that storm and Shion had done so many tests he'd lost count (well, not really; he knew he'd done 54, but that was still enough to fit that figure of speech). He was also finally accustomed to Shima's bizarre behaviour and habits, which was his reasoning behind stubbornly ignoring his friend – who was now pounding on the bathroom door begging for forgiveness while simultaneously claiming that Shion was just 'too cute'. Not for the first time, he was tempted to inform the other of the uselessness of trying to gain his affection. It was a game they often seemed to play; Shima acting head-over-heels for his roommate, and Shion playfully rejecting his attempts. The interactions had raised a few questions around the dorm about their relationship, but Shima was far too corny in the way he acted to be serious, so Shion saw nothing wrong with it. What's wrong with a bit of fun? Yet today, the ruby eyed male brushed it off and tried to get rid of the gloomy feeling that had been clinging to him for the past two days.

That girl who bore such a resemblance to Safu; Rioka… She seemed so strange, and the day after he first saw here she would not stop giving him this strange look that implied she knew something amazing that he didn't. Mr Satou had invited him over to his office for the day to discuss his results and he was becoming increasingly worried as to what they might want to talk about. Because, personally, he had thought he had done reasonably well on his tests, but ever since he received the message he kept feeling like he had failed horribly. The wrenching in his gut refused to stop.  
Shaking away his morose thoughts, Shion combed his hair before stepping out of the bathroom, looking to the table. Toast with butter and jam and a glass of strawberry milk sat waiting with Shima, who stood near his chair with a hopeful look in his eyes. Resisting the urge to laugh at his resemblance of a pleading dog wagging its tail, Shion smiled and sat down with Shima.

"I forgive you Shima. You can calm down. I just don't get why you do things like that every morning," he said as he picked up his toast, munching on it thoughtfully.  
"Coming from ta psychology major! I'm shocked!" Shima joked as he sipped his coffee before replying happily. "I told ya before, ya just taa cute ta resist, Shion~!"

Shion rolled his eyes at the excuse and downed his milk before thanking Shima and walking back into their room, grabbing his identification bracelet and petting Hamlet before walking over to the door.

"Sorry Shima, but I have a meeting with Mr Satou today. I'll see you after classes," he called out as he walked out the door and over to the stair well, beginning a swift jog down. Shima had teased him just yesterday about how strange it was for such a small male to be so concerned about fitness. Shion had simply replied that he was making up for past mistakes making, Shima laugh and comment about how he knew exactly what he meant.  
Reaching the ground floor just as he felt his calf muscles begin to burn, Shion strolled towards the front of the building. Just as he reached the doors he heard someone call his name. Turning around, he smiled kindly.

"Good morning Rioka. How are you?" he greeted politely as the cheeky female waltzed over.

"I'm perfect as always Shion," she said in the musical trill of her voice. "You going to see the big boss?"

A flicker of surprise shot through Shion. How had she known? Brushing a hand through his hair and assuming Shima told her, Shion grinned nervously.

"Yeah, I'm kind of worried but… I mean, he wants to see me about test results. I must have failed it all or something," he said, laughing slightly at the end. Just talking about it made his palms begin to sweat.

"Oh, don't worry your pretty little head, Shion. I'm positive you passed with flying colours," Rioka assured as she patted Shion's shoulder. The touch felt… cold. Not unpleasantly so, but strangely icy nonetheless. He supressed the urge to shiver. "Anywho, I must be off. Places to go, people to see… you know, all that jazz," she adds as she walks out the door, waving around a corner.

Shaking off the strange feeling Rioka always gave him, Shion strolled to the small building next to his dorms and informed the receptionist of his arrival before heading back to Mr Satou's office. Upon reaching the door, he forced his butterflies down with a long, painful swallow and knocked confidently.

"Come in, Shion." The deep baritone voice boomed through the door, and Shion reached for the silver handle to open it. Closing it softly behind him, he bowed slightly to Hagaku and quickly hid his uneasiness when the other gazed at him, his emerald eyes full of hatred and malice. Shion quickly focused his attention on Mr Satou and bowed to him, relief washed through him when the blue eyes focused on him remained calm and open. Walking over he took a seat in the chair across from Mr Satou and waited patiently for the taller male to speak. "Shion, I have called you here to talk about your grades, as I'm sure you know. Do you have any clue as to why I would do that?" His voice was deceptively clear of emotion making Shion's heart jump into his throat. Despite the relaxed, thrumming tone of Satou's voice that filled the room with level headed calm, Shion jittered in agitation.

"U-uh, were my grades so poor that you had to call me here, sir? I apologise for my inability…" he replied, voice cracking on 'inability', and waited with baited breath for the verbal attack he just knew was coming.

Instead of a lecture, heartfelt laughter filled the room before it was replaced with humoured chuckles.

"Why no, no Shion, my dear boy… Your results were amazing, positively astounding! Your IQ must be through the roof, young child." Mr Satou replied. "Now, Shion. I called you here today to inform you that you will no longer need to be studying at this daft old school. You will now be coming to work with me directly. You will be my partner in a new and highly classified job of establishing a new number! My brilliant boy, together we are going to build a new city!"

Shion's eyes were bulging, he just knew it. But how was one supposed to respond to that?! It was quite literally something he had dreamed of, to be able to create another number! He blinked and blushed profusely when he realized Mr Satou was waiting for an answer.

"But, sir…" he said, shakily. "Wasn't the rest of the planet uninhabitable? I mean, unless everything we have been taught about our history is false, but the whole world was ravaged by war! We have only done the best to salvage what remained untouched…"

Satou chuckled again, his intense blue eyes locking onto Shion's curious ones. "Again, it's not what you believe! For years that's what we've believed, but a few weeks ago we discovered a huge intact sanctuary! Bigger than No. 5- no, I'd say it's even bigger than the grand No. 6!"

Shion's chest fluttered in awe. Was what he was hearing really true? It's a miracle!

"Of course! It would be an honor Mr Satou!" he exclaimed happily and watched as a wide smile spread across Mr Satou's face.

"Please just call me Sai, my dear boy. We're partners now, after all!" the older man said enthusiastically as he stood and walked over to the door. "Come with me, Shion." he gestured through the open doorway, and Shion quickly followed, but not without a quick bow in the angered Hagaku's direction. Why was he scowling like that…? He brushed it off.

Following after Mr Satou Shion soon found himself on the roof to his dorms, overlooking the beautiful city of No.5. They had walked in silence the entire time, but finally Sai spoke up.

"Can you imagine it Shion? A land has been found, a tropical oasis of sorts with animals that we've only read about in history books. Just imagine the peaceful city, a new number without predigest, without wrist bands. A city where everyone had equal rights and without a single speck of rot on its inner workings… wouldn't it be amazing? I want you to help me design it Shion." The last part was said as Sai turned to face Shion who just couldn't stop smiling.

"Sai… I would be delighted to help you with this amazing task." Shion replied, bowing deeply to show his immense gratitude. He almost began to cry in sheer amazement.

"Good, well then. Report to my desk early tomorrow and we shall begin discussing what you can do." Sai instructed as he walked past Shion, ruffling the teen's white hair and walking off. Just before the door to the roof closed something bright shines in Shion's eye and his ruby gaze was drawn yet again to the glittering ring on Sai's finger. He began to wonder if Sai had a spouse. If he did, then she was a very lucky woman.

Shaking his head Shion walked over to the edge of the building and looked out at No. 5, the possibilities of what he could do in No. 7 flooding his brain. No more restrictions… Equal rights… A city without rot… The grotesque images of what had happened a few months ago in the putrid innards of No.6's corrupted ways flashed through his mind, but he brushed them away. Soon, that would all just be a memory. There would be no more war. No more ruthless killing. Only peace.

* * *

An hour later, Shion finally tore himself away from the roof and down to the dorms, remembering his promise to catch up with Shima later on. Arriving in his room he grabbed a sandwich and a glass of water, and walks out onto the balcony. Leaning on the balcony and munching on his sandwich, his thoughts brought Nezumi to the surface. His beloved Nezumi… Shion smiles as he imagines how Nezumi would react upon hearing the news of a free city without malice. Sure, he probably wouldn't believe it at first, but wasn't that what Nezumi had always wanted? He imagined the beautiful smile that would fill the blunette's face as his tall form embraced Shion and whispered sweet nothing's in his ear.

Picking up his glass of water, Shion gulped that dregs down and sprawled on the veranda, closing his eyes to the pleasant feeling of the breeze on his skin.

* * *

_Tall trees surrounded Shion, an image he had only seen in books, and a soft emerald haze was thrown over everything. Shion looked to his side upon hearing a noise and watched as Sai appeared out of thin air. The taller male was saying something to Shion and making big, gesturing motions, but Shion couldn't hear him. The man's mouth worked silently, a pleasant smile exposing his pearly teeth. When Sai looked at him expectantly, Shion nodded, not knowing what else to do, and Sai's calm grin spread into a wicked sneer. Hundreds and hundreds of bulldozers rolled in, their roaring noise deafening Shion, and he clamped his hands over his ringing ears. Ruthlessly mauling the majestic trees in their way, Shion cried out to them, begging for them to stop… But they just kept going. Throwing himself in front of one, expecting pain, he was shocked to feel himself fall through it. The massacred forest disappeared a large and beautiful city, but without a single tree in sight, takes its place.  
Sai is at his side again, shouting down at Shion's crumpled form on the ground, the older man now with a furious expression on his face.  
"What did you do, Shion! There's not a single tree left! And all those animals! _Innocentanimals_ are dead! How could you destroy such a natural beauty? It's all your fault!" At his words a faceless crowd surrounds Shion, shouting accusations and jabbing at him. He pleads, saying it wasn't his fault. They don't listen, but rather get more violent and start shaking him. Shion wraps his arms around himself, whimpering and begging for forgiveness.  
"It's all your fault, __**Shion**__!"  
"You did this, __**Shion**__!"_

* * *

"Shion wake up!"

Sitting up suddenly, Shion came face to face with a worried looking Shima, almost smacking his forehead.

"Oh gosh, cutie. Are ya okay?!" he asks as he hugs Shion's slightly shivering form. The red eyed male notices the darkening skies and looks at Shima, patting his shoulder.

"I'm fine… Just a bad dream," he assures as Shima stands and leads him into their apartment.  
"I was jus' gonna wake ya up 'cause there's another mousie here, but ya were thrashin' about an' I couldn't wake ya up." Shion's head snaps up at the mention of another mouse and he looks around frantically. When he spots Cravat sitting next to Hamlet, a feeling of uneasy confusion washed over him. But wasn't Cravat supposed to be with… Shion took the small scroll from Cravat's mouth, fumbling to open it.

Shion,  
Something's not right there. I just know it. And there's something else I need to tell you... We need to talk. In person.  
- Nezumi

He stared at the note, frozen. _What? WHAT? Is Nezumi _here? _At Skylink? What's he doing here? Wasn't he supposed to still be back at No. 6? And what does he mean by… "Not right"? _ Suddenly snapping out of his horrified trance, he noticed Shima is holding a chocolate drink out for him. Taking it gratefully and quickly shoving the paper in his pocket, he put aside the pounding in his chest for later when he could properly evaluate Nezumi's unexpected message. He sipped the cold drink before looking into Shima's violet eyes that seem to be debating something.

"What is it Shima?" Shion asks curiously, wondering what could have his usually bright and happy friend quiet and sullen looking. Shima looks at him for a while longer before he looks down to his chocolate milk, his cross-legged form on his bed looking somehow smaller.

"I wanna tell you something and you're not allowed to interrupt till the end, okay?" The absence of his corny accent caught Shion off guard, but he nodded calmly. He almost felt afraid of what his friend might tell him. Was it something good? Bad? What on earth could be that serious that he'd look like he was about to break?

Shima took a deep breath before speaking. "I don't mean to sound strange, but… Today in classes, all I could think about was you. Your cute smile, your amazing figure, your heart-stealing personality... Then, I think I realised something important. You actually mean a lot to me. Not just the fact that you're cute and all, because I think everybody knows that, but you're really something else. There's no way I could keep this to myself… To tell the truth, I think I knew it right from the start, y'know, that I-"

"Shima-"

"No interruptions." The purple-haired teen swallowed, his eyes darting away from Shion's before locking back on with an intensity that Shion had never seen before. A warm hand clasped around his.

"Shion I'm trying to say is... I want you to know that I... I love you."

The last sentence was said with such raw emotion that it brought tears to Shion's eyes. Tears for those deep, true feelings evident in Shima's gaze, and tears for the fact that he would have to destroy them. Shion opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Nezumi's letter crinkled audibly in his pocked as he looked out of the glass doors. His chest painfully tightened in anguish, and he slid his hand out from underneath Shima's with an apologetic sigh.

"Shima I… my heart… it's… it already belongs to another," he tried to explain as he slowly looked to his usually happy friend, who had tears forming in his eyes. The sight crushed him. Just as Shima had come to love him, Shion realised that he loved him too… But not in the same way. Shima had grown on him enough that he felt like his brother, and he was almost dependant on his ever-lasting happiness. Seeing that joyful flicker in Shima's eyes extinguished crushed him more than he ever believed it could. Unable to help himself, Shion launched himself forward and embraced Shima as tightly as he could.

"I'm so sorry Shima, I really am… Don't cry. Please. Can we maybe stay friends?" Shion asked, his voice breaking on the last word. Shima hugged him back but released him quickly, despite the fact it was obvious he wanted to hold Shion forever. He stood silently and walked to the door, opening it the throwing a forced smile over his shoulder. Shima quickly wiped the trickling tears from his cheeks and reverted back to his old over-exaggerated way of talking.

"I kinda had a feelin' that ya were taken, but I still hoped. It's 'kay, cutie. We can stay friends. I jus' need some time ta calm down." He closed the door behind him. At the sound of the click, Shion collapsed backwards and buried his face in Shima's pillow, shedding the tears that Shima had refused to show. Although his heart would belong to Nezumi forever, just knowing what his undying love had done tore him apart. He suddenly felt like an idiot for just assuming it was a joke; Shima had been serious all along.

_I'm such a fool, _Shion thought with a pained smile as he pulled himself together. After washing his face and taking a few deep breaths, he pulled the crumpled strip of paper out of his pocket. Despite this happening, he still needed to reply. There were answers he wanted—no, needed. He grabbed out a notepad and tore off a small piece of paper, giving it to the eager Cravat. The robot scurried away, and Shion watched it disappear in silence.

* * *

_Kitzabitza: Hi, guys, we're back! Yes, we're not dead! Yaaaaaayithink_

_Yuki- Yayy no death XD Sorry about the feels this chappy guize! (Hope my writing was good enough to perhaps bring a tear to your eyes) but all is necessary for the plot._

_Kitzabitza: I'll have to scrape up what little time I have and get my chapter written and posted as soon as possible! Ahaha. Until then, love you all and hope you enjoyed the chapter!_

_Yuki- till next time guyz! Wish Kitty luck!_


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